#BIGEASTwbb Minute: Quiet Week To Be Capped By Monster Matchups
Seton Hall hosting 11/12 UCLA, RV/NR DePaul visiting 2/2 Notre Dame, Creighton hosting RV/RV South Dakota State among the notable games during final exams week.
WBB Notes - 12.13.17
Week Ahead
With final exams on the docket, five BIG EAST teams will not play again for the rest of the week as Butler, Georgetown, Providence, St. John’s and No. 20/19 Villanova will return to the court next week. The schedule this week is light yet mighty however, including a pair of notable road tests for RV/NR DePaul. The Blue Demons make the short trip to Northwestern on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET before visiting No. 2/2 Notre Dame on Sunday (1 p.m.). Other notable matchups include Creighton hosting RV/RV South Dakota State on Friday at 5 p.m., and Seton Hall welcoming No. 11/12 UCLA on Sunday at 1 p.m. BIG EAST teams are coming down the homestretch of their nonconference schedules as most squads have just two non-league tests remaining before conference play tips off on Dec. 28.
In The Polls
Following a 2-0 week, Villanova rose in the national polls once again, climbing two spots in the Associated Press Top 25 to No. 20 and rising one in the
USA Today Coaches’ Poll to No. 19. Both national rankings are the Wildcats’ highest since the final polls of the 2002-03 season when they finished No. 11/8 following a trip to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Villanova is one of just 12 undefeated teams left in Division I. Of those 12 flawless squads, only two have a strength of schedule in the top 20: Villanova and No. 1/1 Connecticut. Following a 2-1 week, Marquette continued to receive votes in the AP Poll, while a 1-1 week for DePaul earned the Blue Demons votes in the coaches’ poll.
Juniors Standing Out
Of the top 12 scorers in the BIG EAST this season, 10 hail from the junior class, including the league’s top six scorers. Providence junior Jovana Nogic leads the BIG EAST with a 19.4 points per game clip, while Butler’s Whitney Jennings is second at 18.5. Creighton sophomore Jaylyn Agnew and Seton Hall graduate student Donnaizha Fountain are the only non-juniors in the top 12, which also includes Georgetown’s Dionna White, Marquette’s Allazia Blockton and Natisha Hiedeman, Villanova’s Adrianna Hahn, DePaul’s Ashton Millender and St. John’s Akina Wellere. The junior class has combined for over 2,600 points so far, accounting for more than 40 percent of all points scored this season.
Last Night In #BIGEASTwbb
Fordham 67, St. John’s 64 (2OT)
Playing in double-overtime for the first time since Dec. 21, 2014, St. John’s went down swinging against local foe Fordham. The game featured eight ties and 13 lead changes as no team led by more than seven over the six frames. The Red Storm bench proved pivotal, outscoring Fordham’s non-starters 25-2, including 13 points from Alisha Kebbe. After shooting 44 percent from the field in regulation, St. John’s went cold from the floor in bonus time, including just a 1-7 clip in the second overtime, as the Rams dealt the Red Storm their first home setback of the year. Maya Singleton registered her sixth double-double of the year, tallying 15 points and 13 rebounds while matching a career-high with four steals.
Full Recap
Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday
Fordham 67, St. John’s 64 (2OT)
Wednesday
NR/RV DePaul at Northwestern, 8 p.m.
Friday
RV/RV South Dakota State at Creighton, 5 p.m.
Sunday
NR/RV DePaul at 2/2 Notre Dame, 1 p.m.
11/12 UCLA at Seton Hall, 1 p.m.
RV/NR Marquette at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.
Xavier vs. Furman, 6 p.m. (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
All times Eastern